Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Crisis Novel Strategies for Antibiotic Stewardship and Discovery

Mohammed Akhtar Khan; Bakhtawar Sikander; Zaira Azhar; M. Ahmad Alamgir; Amna Javed; Ayesha Khan

doi:10.70749/ijbr.v3i8.1975

Authors

Mohammed Akhtar Khan Department of Orthopedics, Federal Government Polyclinic Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Bakhtawar Sikander College of Public Health, Ziauddin University, Karachi Campus, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Zaira Azhar Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.
M. Ahmad Alamgir Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rahbar Medical & Dental College, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Amna Javed Government College University (GCU), Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Ayesha Khan Punjab University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i8.1975

Keywords:

Antibiotic Use, Antimicrobial Resistance, Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior, Awareness Campaigns, Misuse, Public Health, Education, Pakistan

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the population against antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and analyze how such factors as age, education, and awareness campaigns influence antibiotic misuse. Structured questionnaires were used to survey 250 samples consisting of patients and general people in Punjab, Pakistan. Using descriptive statistics, 46 percent of the respondents advised on inappropriate use of antibiotics like taking them without prescription or failing them, among others. Pearson correlation demonstrated that there is a definite positive connection between knowledge and attitudes (r = .482, p < .01) i.e. more informed people displayed more responsible attitudes regarding AMR. The regression analysis revealed that both age (0.241, p = .001) and the educational level (0.289, p = .001) were predictors of misuse power but the segment occupation type was not significant (0.132, p = .080). The model was significant, 26.3 of the variance was explained in the misuse behavior. Due to the significant difference in the tendency to use antibiotics without proper reasons among people who were exposed to awareness campaigns (chi-square = 12.346, p<.001) the results of the chi-square analysis were presented along with the mentioning of the significance value, p <.001. The results are consistent with previous research that identifies the power of the education of the population in managing AMR. These outcomes imply that the misuse of antibiotics can be decreased by raising awareness, enhancing access to the right information, and educating every population group, in particular, younger generations. The study recommends beefed-up public health promotion, increased regulatory control of prescriptions, and policy-based preventive measures that would avert the increasing risks of antimicrobial resistance.

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